Have you heard of Henry Cyril Paget, the fifth Marquess of Anglesey? How To Win Against History assumes not: Paget died at 29 in the 1850s, having spent all his estate’s money staging extravagant plays to non-existent audiences. The result was a literal writing out of history, as the family scrambled to destroy any evidence of him in an attempt to salvage their once good name.
How To Win Against History intends to do the same for Paget who, as far as can be gleaned from the surviving records, was also gay and accustomed to wearing dresses. This production reprises a musical that debuted at the Fringe nine years ago, writer Seiriol Davies in the part of Paget, with Matthew Blake in an impressive variety of supporting roles and an excellent five-piece band who fill the space like a much larger ensemble.
The professionalism that comes with almost a decade of work is clear: this is a slick production, not a foot out of place or a line that falls flat in a busy script jam-packed with gags and wordplay. With the story played for laughs and camp over a 90-minute runtime, it’s perhaps not surprising the characters remain a little one-dimensional. Still, Fringe-goers looking for a big-ticket, highly-produced spectacle won’t be disappointed.
How to Win Against History, Underbelly, George Square, until 24 Aug (not 11, 18), 7.15pm